STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Richard Burt's statement contradicts a key claim the US Attorney General made during his Senate testimony this week

“I did attend two dinners with groups of former Republican foreign policy officials and Senator Sessions,” he told The Guardian

A lobbyist working on behalf of Russian interests says he attended two dinners hosted by Jeff Sessions during the 2016 election campaign— contradicting a key claim the US Attorney General made during his Senate testimony this week.

Sessions said in his hearing that he did not “believe” he had contacts with any lobbyists working for Russia during the presidential race.

But Richard Burt told The Guardian that he could confirm previous media reports that stated he had contacts with Sessions at the time.

“I did attend two dinners with groups of former Republican foreign policy officials and Senator Sessions,” Burt told The Guardian.

Burt also said that he was not sure whether Sessions knew about his role as a lobbyist for Russian interests.

But he noted that his lobbying interests are in public records and that his direct connection to Trump was obvious.

Burt previously served on the advisory board of Alfa Capital Partners, a private equity fund where Russia’s Alfa Bank was an investor.